Barrington senior Oliver Gray’s basketball journey has not taken a typical path.
For one thing, the 6-foot-5 guard is a four-year starter, a rare accomplishment. Barrington coach Bryan Tucker could think of only one other player to do it for the team during his 17-year tenure.
Gray also intends to play college basketball, but likely not next season. With offers from Eastern Illinois and Cleveland State, Gray thinks he can get more eventually.
“The offers that I had, the academics at the schools weren’t great, and it wasn’t a great fit for me,” he said. “I’m probably going to play AAU in the spring and then go to a prep school.”
Gray believes spending a year at a prep school will allow him to work on his game and prepare him for college basketball. Academically, he’s already ready for college.
“He can get a little stronger, and then with the transfer portal, all these bigger colleges are looking for older guys, so it’s a smart move,” Tucker said. “And that’s what he is. He’s so smart.”
Gray, who wants to major in business, said he has a 3.8 GPA.
Gray knows the game too.
“He’s been here for four years, so he’s battle-tested,” Tucker said. “He gives us great leadership. His teammates elected him captain. We can say, ‘Hey, we’ve got to make this adjustment out there.’ He’s like, ‘Yeah, I got it.’”
Lanky and versatile, Gray has a sweet shooting touch. He’s accurate out to NBA range, and it didn’t take him long to demonstrate that.
As a freshman, Gray set a program record for most 3-pointers in a game when he made 9 of 11 attempts against Wheeling.
So Gray hasn’t been surprised by his success this season. Through Feb. 4, he was averaging 20.0 points, 5.3 rebounds and 2.1 assists while shooting 31% from 3-point range and 81% from the free-throw line for the Broncos (9-13). He scored a career-high 33 points against Prospect on Jan. 30.
“One of my biggest strengths is just trying to make my teammates better, trying to get them open, and then just letting the game come to me,” he said.
Indeed, Gray is more than just a perimeter shooter. He can drive to the basket and also has to guard opponents’ best shooters.
“He’s an inside-outside threat,” Tucker said. “It’s a luxury as a coach to have a player like that, that’s for sure.”
Opponents have taken to using their tallest players to try to stop Gray, which has led to some interesting one-on-one matchups.
Gray and 6-5 junior Mason Martin, an Illinois commit, went head-to-head at both ends of the floor during Barrington’s nonconference game against Neuqua Valley on Jan. 27.
Both players left impressed with the other. Gray held Martin to one basket in the first half before Martin scored 17 of his 22 points in the second half to help the Wildcats, who are ranked No. 5 in Class 4A in the poll by The Associated Press, win 70-59.
Gray likewise got only one first-half basket against Martin but recovered to finish with a team-high 20 points. He scored 11 points in the fourth quarter, including an NBA-range 3-pointer that cut the deficit to 63-57 with 1:47 remaining.
“He’s a really good player,” Martin said. “He can obviously shoot it really well, and he can create for himself and others too. It was fun guarding him.”
Gray said his toughest assignment this season was North Dakota State commit Colin Stack, a 7-1 center for Benet. But Martin ranks high on the list.
“That was fun playing against him,” Gray said. “I remember playing against him last year, and he was kind of unknown, and then he went from unknown to Illinois commit. I was like, ‘Wow, that’s impressive.’ Credit to him for that.”
Tucker credits Gray for keeping the Broncos on track.
“He sets the tone, and others follow,” Tucker said. “He just comes in and works hard every day. No one is on the court more than he is.”
Few players have done more for the Broncos than Gray. Last season, he became just the fourth player in program history to surpass 1,000 career points. He recently became Barrington’s career leader in 3-pointers made, surpassing the old mark of 191 set by Jason Richards.
Through Feb. 4, Gray had scored 1,518 points. He’s second on the school’s career list behind Richards, who scored 1,779 from 2000 to 2004 and later played with Stephen Curry at Davidson.
So Tucker isn’t looking forward to seeing Gray graduate.
“I wish I could get him more than four years,” Tucker said. “Now I’m really getting greedy.”
Matt Le Cren is a freelance reporter.
